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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — certain
  7. stock — goods
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. roll — a list
  14. stock — shares
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — tied together
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. vault — a safe
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com